Among Friends

[homedecor1]

I've lived in a over 55 golf community for many years.  The difference is I own my home and the land.  

In manufactured communities you rent the land.  The fees are always going up (my friend is paying lot rent of $1000) and is always getting assessments,

I am responsible to pay my property taxes which is approx $1400/year.

Our HOA fees have increased $10 over the past year.  My Hoa fees cover general groundskeeping, golf course, pool, cable, 24/7 security and other amenities-they are quite affordable.

Seems most of the manufactured communities are owned by greedy investors.  I remember we looked years ago and once we found out you rented the land lot we quickly looked elsewhere.

@smoochy 

[AZfem]

I've heard that happening here with condos & apartments. Not necessarily over 55 but any building when new owners take over they often change things & not always for the better. 

[gidgetgh]

I live in a 55+ community. Everyone here owns their own land and house. We pay a monthly fee for lawn maintenance, trash pickup, water for the irrigation system for the common areas and a few other small things. 

Our community is single family houses. And the houses are stick built houses, not manufactured houses.

[haddon9]

My brother moved to one of those communities two years ago.  It's very nice and he loves it.  However they do keep raising the lot rents.  I believe his is now $800.00 a month but it includes amenities such as the pool, clubhouse & activities and the multiple local day trips that are offered each month.

He told me that some residents are afraid of the prices going up too much.  There is a bill in PA on board about protecting seniors from this price gouging.  Who knows when it might get looked at and if it will pass?

He would have preffered to have just owned his lot outright but there aren't a lot of over 55s nearby.  Some are very expensive but a different type of over 55 and he liked the homes in his community.

[CalminHeart]

A lot of funding to help over 55, assisted living, and nursing space as been stopped by state and federal actions. So who picks up the difference?  People do. 

Cost also depends on the type of community. The more a community offers, the more it'll cost.... such as golf course.

I bought long-term care insurance way back in the 80s. It'll help a lot with assisted living when the time comes. 

I'm still surprised at what over 55 communities cost. I"m ready to move but can't afford even a basic one here in the midwest. 

[katie1859]

Rents are up everywhere…out of control and over inflated
I wouldn’t live in one because the rates are so jacked up
I’m in Illinois
Also what I’m realizing is that even in what you think is a nicer community a portion is being rented on vouchers
Subsidies
So what the governing management does is compensate
This is happening all over the country

[LavernLuvsShoes]

---

@katie1859 wrote:
Rents are up everywhere…out of control and over inflated - This is happening all over the country.

---

Indeed it is, and it's especially unfair to the disabled and to seniors living on "fixed incomes" 

[retiredatlast]

I live in a 55+ community in the So. CA desert.  I own my own home and the land it sits on.  The community has a lot of amenities, including 2 golf courses and 2 clubhouses.  When I first moved here in 2008 the HOA dues were about $190 a month.  Now they are $369.  Not too bad considering all the features that this community offers.  All in all I am extremely pleased.  The homes are afforable by California standards.  One of the lower cost housing in the state. 

[withaK]

If the HOA isn't maintaining the property anything can happen....it could go into receiveorship, check what properties are selling fo with the community and the risk factors that are posted from realtors (eg fire risk, flood etc) In an HOA those are things that are looked at as well as the comunity being poorly insured, many bankruptcy filings, HOA doesn't maintain property

[withaK]

Quite true....people like to "age in place" but it's not viable sometimes and a unit owner tries to create a situation not viable.....if you are responsible for shoveling your driveway in winter the HOA isn't going to pay for it to be shoveled